Books I Actually Read During Summer '22

 

photo from @lovelychaos via Twitter

I want to introduce you to this post by saying that whoever plans a Summer TBR list and sticks to it, has my respect.

Because I couldn't, lol.

I have no self-control, meaning I treated myself to a new book every chance I had.

In my previous Squarespace blog, when I made my summer TBR list, I was already reading The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh. So let's start with that one... because I didn't even finish it.

I really wanted to give it a chance, but the whole time I was like "Yes, girl! Give us nothing! 🤪😍"

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

DNF at 52%.

Just like everyone else, I was excited for some vampire-forbidden-love type of trope. But how come I’m on page 233 of a vampire book and there’s not a single hint about the existence of vampires?

I can handle slow plots, but the constant overthinking from Celine and her dArK SEcReT had me annoyed to the max.

Anyways, the plot felt really slow and painfully uneventful.

It really wasn’t for me 💔.

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Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

My second CoHo book ever, and the first one to break my planned TBR list.

I was so sad when I reached the part that traumatized Miles so much. He was so in love with Rachel (before Tate) to the point he saw her as poetry.

Like prose and love letters and lyrics cascading down

the

center

of

a

page

 

Every time he spoke about her, the text would turn as if it were poetry. So you bet my heart broke when it went back to normal after *THAT* happened.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although it didn't make me cry as people told me I would, I can't deny this book was so beautifully written. And don't even get me started on Cap; he was the best character. His back must be hurting from carrying this entire book.

"... Seems in my past life, I was shot right in the ass. Must have bled out."

Iconic.

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The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's a 3.5 to me

Although it didn't blow me away, I had a lot of awww moments. These were my favorite quotes:

"You are so pretty one of these days I'm going to lose a finger in my garage because I can't concentrate with you so close to me. You are so pretty that I wish you weren't so I wouldn't want to hit every guy at school who looks at you, especially my best friend."

 

She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

(Basic, I know. But I would cry forever if someone ever said this to me.)

"Just so you know," he mimics me,"I would chop that table up and use it for firewood before I would ever choose anything over you."

If you read this book, you'd know these quotes are from after the half of the book. Because honestly? The book was uneventful until it picked up around 25-30%. I may have gotten a bit emotional at the end, but only because it shows how much Drew cares about Nastya; I thought it was wholesome. But besides that, I barely felt anything.

My conclusion is: I think it's a good plot, but in the beginning, it was really slow and uneventful. I was bored during most of it. But it wasn't a bad read.

I think I have mixed feelings about it, lol.

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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Okay... it gave. And that plot twist managed to get a gasp from me.

A friend recommended me this book, and she was right; it was actually good. I enjoyed it because from the beginning it was a page-turner and as a slow reader, I'm proud of myself because I finished it in a span of 3 days, lol.

Also... am I the only one who wasn't a fan of Cadence and Gat's romance? Ever since Cady saw him sending the letter to Raquel, I stopped liking him. >:((

Another thing: Johnny was my favorite character, he was so hilarious.

"Can't we talk about sex or murder?"

"Never eat anything bigger than your ass."

  

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If she was destined to burn in Hell, I would burn with her.

This book was a big slay and my first step into falling in love with YA fantasy. Also, Lou was such an amazing character; and sometimes I found myself relating to her personality. She was just as lovely as Coco. And don't get me even started with Ansel, I didn't expect myself to adore him completely.
And Reid... I fucking love him .

I have to admit that, just like many others, I was confused in the beginning but as I kept reading I was able to catch on. I'm a very slow reader, and I almost fell into a reading slump; but as soon as Reid and Lou married, the book immediately turned into a page turner for me.

A witch and witch hunter bound in holy matrimony. There was only one way such story could end--a stake and a match.

I found their dynamic to be so hilarious and wholesome; you can bet I squealed like a 14-year-old when he finally calls her "My little heathen". I passed away.

Anyways... I'm excited to run to my nearest bookstore and get my hands on Blood & Honey; I hope to enjoy it as much as I did this one!<3 br="">
p.s: Reid finally cursing was one of my most favorite things.

"Why the fuck is everyone in this kingdom trying to murder my wife?

And that's it!

<3 br="">I was planning to finish reading Fallen by Lauren Kate before my college semester began. I couldn't, so I will include it in books I read during the Fall! I've been slowly dipping my toes into fantasy, so I look forward to including more YA Fantasy than Colleen Hoover (No hate; I love her but I need to step out of my comfort zone. Although she's my go-to in times of reading slumps). Any more YA Fantasy recs? I'm thinking of adding The Cruel Prince to my TBR :)

<3 br="">